The death of 24-year-old mechanical engineer, Farhan Serajuddin, who lost his way while trekking alone in Nagphani near Lonavala has sent shivers to many in the city. Serjauddinwho worked in Delhi came to Pune and had a passion for trekking, which led him to Nagphani also know as Duke’s Nose. His death is an unfortunate reminder that while trekking can be extremely rewarding, one needs to be alert that it can also be fatal.
“People should know that trekking is a group activity and even if a single person is going for trekking he or she should be accompanied by a local person or at least he should have complete knowledge of the locality,” alerts Ruturaj Agawane, Founder, Bucketlist Adventures.
“Do not trek alone till you’ve done atleast 20 treks which involves at least 5 intermediate level hikes,” suggests Ninad Mandke an adventure travel consultant with almost 14 years of trekking experience. He also adds, “Before you start lone trekking, which is addictive no doubt, having a basic knowledge of various fields such as Geography, zoology, botany and Astronomy is important as they help you a lot in the mountains.”
While mobile phones have become a life saviour, when it comes to trekking, they cannot be relied on. “Don’t rely heavily on mobile phones. They may not work in the wilderness,” Agawane, who holds a 10 year of trekking experience, shares. Adding to this, Mandke suggests, “Understand your phone and technology. Most people still don’t know that location (gps) works even without the internet. We just have to load the map before going to the mountains.”
{{/usCountry}}While mobile phones have become a life saviour, when it comes to trekking, they cannot be relied on. “Don’t rely heavily on mobile phones. They may not work in the wilderness,” Agawane, who holds a 10 year of trekking experience, shares. Adding to this, Mandke suggests, “Understand your phone and technology. Most people still don’t know that location (gps) works even without the internet. We just have to load the map before going to the mountains.”
{{/usCountry}}The locales can often be your biggest strength when you are trekking. Mandke adds, “Talk to the villagers before starting the trek. Tell them you’ll meet them again in a few hours. On most treks in Maharashtra, 8 to 10 hours are enough to reach one of the base villages. So carry enough water and good carbs, that will help you survive at least half a day more.”
40-year-old Sumit Dakhawe believes that curiosity can often kill the cat. “In recent years local authorities and even private trekking groups have tried to make many parts of the Sahyadris accessible. However, we must remember that these places were “naturally” inaccessible and therefore accessing them is a man-made endeavour. I firmly believe that to enjoy the mountains, does not mean to explore and ‘conquer’ every corner of the mountain,” he explains.
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